It’s not regarding the virtual currency. Ripple is much more, because you’re not only able to send virtual currencies, you are able to send fiat currencies as well. That makes it interesting for us, because basically from a bank, usually, you send euros, US dollars, Swiss francs, whatever.

We see it like a payment scheme or payment channel that you can use to make payments faster and easier and more directly. Maybe even much more efficient for the customer.

On Fidor’s plan for Ripple gateways:

Yes. The first stage of cooperation will be that we will implement Ripple for our German customers.

But, you might be aware that we are already touching base in Russia, with a partner there, and opening up a Fidor Bank there.

Let’s see if the traditional payment channels [in Russia] are worthwhile. This could definitely be an option, connecting Fidor Russia with Fidor Germany. You have on two sides, two trusted gateways.

How Ripple benefits customers:

It’s not that we don’t like the existing systems. We are very customer-centric, and the customer should get the payment channel he wants to have.

It’s not that Ripple is superior, but we think that it will have a future and that our customers will choose Ripple for certain use cases. In other use cases, they will use (in Europe) SEPA. Other use cases, cash-to-cash transfers.

This is our policy: be open and cooperate with everything else. It’s not that one is superior [to] the other, the customer has to decide what’s best.

Fidor customers will have Ripple-branded payment options:

Yes. It will be [branded]. Within the account, you can see all the different payment channels. So if somebody says I want Ripple for whatever reason, he gets Ripple.